Heat lamp safety fixture for brooders



P 1952 M. v. SCHUBERT, JR., ET AL 2,612,594

HEAT LAMP SAFETY FIXTURE FOR BROODERS Filed Jan. 26, 1952 2 SHEETS-$HEETl INVENTORS, MLTON V 5CHUBEPT Jag JOSEPH 5. MM/Aqo JR, BILLY E. LANqoHR,Lon/N J. BADSKEX p 1952 M. v. SCHUBERT, JR., ET AL 2,612,594

HEAT LAMP SAFETY FIXTURE FOR BROODERS Filed Jan. 26, 1952 2 SHEETS-SHEET2 INVENTORS, MLTON SCHUBERT J12, E. 3. 6 JOSEPH b MA/vAqo JP,

BILLY E. LANqol-m,

LOP/N J. DADsKEx W Q, mm

HFToRNEY Patented Sept. '30, 1952 gee-AT LAMP hf Indianat'lllllicationfjanuary 26, 195Z,1SerialiNo. 268,452.

14 Claims; (CI.;.219-45) This invention 'relatesito a flxture forholding infra-red lampsf'or use particularly in chicken or SAFETY:FIXTUREFQB- BBOODERS Milton V. LSchubertQJL; Billy E. Langohr, and

Joseph B'. Manage, Jr., Columbia City, and Lorin J. Badske'y,' NorthManchester, '-Ind., as- :signors to LML Engineering & .Manufacturing:Corporation',.'0olumbia City, 1nd, a-zcorpoitation The inventiveconcept includes in such *a'fixture*means'foreuttingoff the'flow ofcurrent to all of thelamps carried bythe fixture in the event 'thatthelarnp fixture drops under any cause. I

The infraredlamps have to be xp p ticularly over their outer surfaces,so that the rays may travel'therefrom' to the litter to radiate the heatin the pattern desired.

The fixture herein shown is quite similar to that shown in'theco-pending application serial No. 244,234, which issued on July 15, 1952.as

:Patentj'No. 2,603,738 wherein-three of the co-.in-

.ventors ,named in this V application are the in- Mentors named in theco -pending application.

fll'heinventiye concept further embodies a very simple :structurewherein thefixture is required to" be:,.tilted.onto its side when .itfalls'to :break thescircuit throughthe lamps,i-so that the lampsin-anyevent do not come downonto the litter :with their greatest area incontact therewith. "*These and other objects-and advantages of theinvention will become apparent to those versed in the art in the:following description OFOIIGT particular form, ;-in which, referring tothe accompanying drawings, I

- Eigs' 1. j is .a .view .in, side elevation and partial section. of astructure .embdoying the invention; E'ig .52 isia wiringdiagram; Figi'3is a bottom plan-wiew'yand i Fig. 4 is a View in bottom plan of thecover with the lamp mounting base removed.

Azcover l0, generallygofidisk and planar .shape with a .Tdownturned.roundedzflang'e l l is' pro'vi'ded, and to the underside of this coverin there is secured a lamp mounting base l2. This lamp mounting base 12is of sheet metal, and in convex shape as viewed from the underside.

In the present showing, four infrared lamps l3 are carried by the basel2 through sockets I4.

By reason of these sockets l4 being mounted on the convexbase [2, theaxes of the lamps [3 are directed outwardly-one from the lather,substantially coinciding with the radii of cnrv af ture of the baseplatet2,

spacedapartaround the base [2. V

The base I2 -'s b" ought-into contact Wit; the underside of theflco ver'lfl *bymeam qf an outer flange l5. The'fia-ngefl 5'issecured to {the covl0 byany suitable manner, herein-she by means ofthehook bolts 1 5' I g pM a suspending chain 11 eng ge'd-therewith there being-three'of thesehooks,"and"three br riches l8, l9, and 2l,-'exten'dlng firom1the =chai Ito engage with thesehook bolts [-6.

On the topside of thecover l0; -*where1 mmediate access thereto "maybe-"had ithere js mounted a' thermostat element 22"which; throughexpansion and contraction in response to temfperature changes, operates'a switch j-Etzf, is

switch '23, n 'the *form herein-shown, operates to cutin and cutout twoof thelanips ttgwhile the other two lamps remain: in the, ,circuit' nor-,nn ly he l ut u of "th 'heat rom'ft es lamps being regulated inthatmanner.

Within thespace fZfi between the base "I "d the cover H] "thereiismounted a "mercury switch 25, removably carried therein by means or thelower and upper spring clips zfiqand"l'ljrespec tively. These clips; 26and 2] :a're' carried 'bya bracket 28 inturn'mountedjon the undersidefofthe cover Hl, substantially 'centrally locatedfin respect "to the'cov'er myrne mercuryffswitch 2511s of that'fi type "'whichwhe'n in itsyerticajl position,"as indicated in Figs. flfandj his normallyinrclose'd circuit condition. Whenthe switchfzfi is tilted 'to one side,:that circuit is interrupted by the'iflow :0ffIIIGIfCl1IfYIfWithlDLthEswitch. L' S i n ce this particular .type of switch isoominercialltobtainable, the details thereofarenot herein .il-

lustrated or described. ,As.indieated. in .Eig.},2, this switch 25.placed tin the ,circuitso that when it is open all'of the lamps 13 willbe deenergized, .regardlessof the condition ofgthe switch-.23evenithoughit be closed. A rod 3!] is mounted 1011312115 base 11:2zitoli exten'd ccentrally therefrom :and verticallydownwardly.asiindicated in ,zFig. l1. This rod Bfluhigs ii ggg sufiicient to causethe cover [0 to rock over on its side or rather onto the flange II,should the chain I? break or accidentally become disconnected from itshanger (not shown) to allow the entire fixture to drop. Otherwise thefixture could drop so that it would be supported in that manner by thefloor lamps [3 to have the cover ll) substantially horizontallydisposed,

TENT

whichin tur e 3 in which case all the lamps 13 would be in con tact withthe litter.

However, by reason of the presence of the rod 30, the cover I0 has torock to one side of the horizontal, and regardless of which direction itmay fall the switch 25 will open and thus cut off the current to all ofthe lamps I3 so that even though the outermost rims of the lamps [3, notover two of them in any event, come into contact with the litter thelamps will cool ofi before the litter has been brought up to thetemperature of ignition. While the dimeter of the rod 36 may be quitesmall, its length should be preferably at least equal to the length ofthe diameter of the cover 10. The overall length in any event, wouldhave to be limited by the initial, minimum spacing desired between thelamps I3 and the litter, this spacing generally being on the order offrom two feet to two and one half feet, and after a certain initialnumber of days-oi brooding, then the cover l0 and the lamps 13 may begradually spaced an increasing distance from the litter.

Therefore it is to be seen that we have provided an extremely novel, andyet most emcient device, for the purpose intended, and while we haveherein shown and described the invention in the one particular form, itis obvious that structural changes may be employed without departingfrom the spirit of the invention, and we therefore do not desire to belimited to that precise form beyond the limitations which may be imposedby the following claims.

We claim:

1. A brooder heater device for suspension bove the floor, comprising aheater unit; a member .for carrying the unit; an electric circuitincluding said unit; a rod carried by said member to' extend downwardlytherefrom; and a switch in said circuit carried by said member, saidswitch being characterized by being in closed circuit condition whensaid device is in its suspended position and automatically going to anopen circuit condition in a tilted position of the device as may beinduced by said rod contacting the floor upon release of the device fromits suspended position.

2. A brooder heater device for suspension above the floor, comprising aheater unit; a member for carrying the unit; an electric circuitincluding said unit; a rod carriedby said member to extend downwardlytherefrom; and a switch in said circuit carried by said member, saidswitch being characterized by being in closed circuit condition whensaid device is in its suspended position and automatically going to anopen circuit condition in a tilted position of the device as may beinduced by said rod contacting the floor upon release of the device fromits suspended position; said member including a base; said heating unitcomprising a plurality of heat lamps mounted in circumferentially spacedrelation around said base and directed downwardly; said rod beingsecured centrally of said lamps to said base; and the diameter 6 ofsaidcover exceeding the diameter of a circle including the outermostportions of said lamps,

4 the length of said rod being at least equal to the diameter of saidcover.

3. A brooder heater device for suspension above the floor, comprising aheater unit; a member for carrying the unit; an electric circuitincluding said unit; a rod carried by said members to extend downwardlytherefrom; and a switch in said circuit carried by said member, saidswitch being characterized by being in closed circuit condition whensaid device is in its suspended position and automatically going to anopen circuit condition in a'tilted position of the device as may beinduced by said rod contacting the floor upon release of the device fromits suspended position; said switch consisting of a mercury tube switchmounted on said member to have its axis vertically disposed in saidcover suspended position, whereby said switch is operable to its opencircuit condition in all directions of tilting of the cover.

4. A brooder heater device normally suspendable in spaced relationabovethe floor comprising a heater unit; a member carrying the unit; anelectric circuit including said unit; a

/ tilting element carried bysaid member to -project from its undersideto cause the member when free to tilt to one side when said elementrests on the floor; and a switch said circuit and carried by saidmember, said switch being characterized bybeing norm-ally in closedcircuit condition when said member is suspended and going to opencondition upon the tiltingoi' said member.

MILTON v. sornmnn'r, JR. BILLY E. LANGOHR JOSEPH B. MANAGO, JR. LORIN J;BADSKEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of recordin the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 485,041 Johnson Oct. 25, 18921,445,706 Papini Feb. 20, 1923 1,445,707 Papini Feb. 20, 1923 1,462,380Richardson July 17, 1923 1,484,156 Phelan Feb. 19, 1924 1,541,660Randolph June 9, 1925 1,560,572 I-Iatton Nov. 10, 1925 1,611,772 ODellDec. 21, 1926 1,676,408 OShea July 10, 1928 2,081,395 Du Bois May 25,1937 2,109,181 Muldowney Feb. 22, 1938 2,221,045 Edington Nov. 12, 19402,464,309 Harshman Mar. 15, 1949 2,467,479 Huck Apr. 19, 1949 2,478,001Miskella Aug. 2, 1949 2,485,429 Burchard Oct. 18, 1949 2,512,061 HuckJune 20, 1950 2,603,738 Schubert et al July 15, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 7Number Country Date Great Britain Mar. 13,1930

